TAR: Hockey players, roller derby moms, and the mullet to end all mullets

Good start to the season.
The Newlyweds - I don't like them, especially the female, but I hope they are around awhile - they seem entertaining in a different way than we have seen.
2 Express Passes - interesting twist and looks like we will get some fallout - since they have awhile to actually give it to another team.
The Doctors - yes - don't like them either, hope they are gone soon, they seem so smart, but don't want to go beneath their station.
The Mullet - oh dear - horrible, but don't seem like bad racers yet.
Sand Castle task - why didn't they just put the bucket over the existing castle and flip it over, dig and then flip back, instead of the scooping back into the bucket? Also they were able to talk to their partner, why didn't the partner help keep track of what had been done as a way to help?
Too bad about the firemen, but the comment that they could win on the canoe race - underestimating females - I am ok with them being out.
Glad the show is back and glad it was 90 minutes!

The MULLET is baaaaaa-aaaaaack. And not necessarily in a bad way. I somehow don't think they will last long because them seem a bit "slow" on the uptake of finding things and they don't look to be too physically fit. That being said, they'll likely surprise me and hang around for a while.

Newlyweds -- is that the one with the blond female who pretended to play nice when around peeps at the airport and then when it was time to talk "outside" of the comp let us in on how she really felt? UGH, not sure I'd want them around for too long.

The doctors -- holier than thou, they seem. And whining! Sheesh. I said to my hubby that if I was in such bad shape because of the heat on the sand, I'd ask if I could go dunk myself in the water, cooling off my body and my poor frizzled brain. I wonder if it was a possibility cause I did see some of the "diggers" getting water poured on them. If I couldn't go IN the water, I'd get my partner to get a bucket, fill it and drench me.

The sand -- being logical, I'd start one place and then likely go in a straight line. If someone found one while I was digging, I'd ask my partner to keep an eye on which one it was so I didn't go dig there. I also have to wonder if the original ones looked good compared to the ones redone. If there was a big difference in the appearance of new/old, then I'd skip the old. That being said, I think it was a crapshoot on finding one.

Quitters -- yeah, Phil didn't seem too happy to check them in. Notice that they have to start 4 hours later the next day rather than making them wait the 4 hours now. Is that new? I always thought quitting a task penalty was tacked on to the race that day. I can understand why Phil & company may not have wanted to have waited around for another 4 hours while the quitters sat out their penalty.

Hell I think I might have let the other two teams quit and still keep looking because you figure you needed about an hour for that boat challenge (maybe less), so that gives me 3 hours to still keep looking and have a shot to beat the quitters.

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I would have done that, too, except I don't think the others would have gone for the deal if anyone had held out.

Quitters -- yeah, Phil didn't seem too happy to check them in. Notice that they have to start 4 hours later the next day rather than making them wait the 4 hours now. Is that new? I always thought quitting a task penalty was tacked on to the race that day. I can understand why Phil & company may not have wanted to have waited around for another 4 hours while the quitters sat out their penalty.

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What would be the point of making them sit and wait for four hours for check in? The timer starts when they hit the mat, so the firefighters weren't going to catch up, as they were taking the penalty, too. If one of the teams hadn't taken the penalty, I am sure Phill would have made them sit and wait--they could be beaten by a team coming in. But that wasn't the case.

I am just shocked that people who had been at a task for three hours would think taking a four-hour penalty is a good idea. They must be gambling on bunching at the airport--which might not be such a bad gamble, given that they are in Bora Bora and there can't be too many flights out of there.

Quitters -- yeah, Phil didn't seem too happy to check them in. Notice that they have to start 4 hours later the next day rather than making them wait the 4 hours now. Is that new? I always thought quitting a task penalty was tacked on to the race that day. I can understand why Phil & company may not have wanted to have waited around for another 4 hours while the quitters sat out their penalty.

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If they made them wait the 4 hours to check in, they'd still start 4 hours later the next day since the start times are tied to the "check in" times. In this instance, making them wait wouldn't change the outcome of which team was eliminated since all the teams had the penalty, so they probably just let them check in so that they didn't keep the crew hanging around for no reason. But they still get the 4 hour delay in starting the next day as if they had the penalty at check in so there is some disadvantage to them for quitting the task.

I said to my hubby that if I was in such bad shape because of the heat on the sand, I'd ask if I could go dunk myself in the water, cooling off my body and my poor frizzled brain. I wonder if it was a possibility cause I did see some of the "diggers" getting water poured on them. If I couldn't go IN the water, I'd get my partner to get a bucket, fill it and drench me.

.

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I was wondering why none of them did this- I mean I'm sure the water is warm and it would be a temporary reprieve, but I have to think it would have helped. Maybe it wasn't allowed? I was recently in SE Asia and it was F-ing hot, so I can only imagine how brutal 3 hours in that hot sun would be. Heat stroke can sneak up on you and before you even get to that point you can still feel pretty terrible.

I too am baffled at how easily the three quit, and not just that they quit, but by the circumstances they did it. Leaving their position in the race down to a foot race? How STUPID is that. And also, all it would have taken was ONE team to say no, and they would have been the first person back. With no one else there, they could have re-made the castles as quickly and sloppily as they wanted, starting at the beginning and working systematically through the grid. Under no circumstances would that have taken any more than four hours, and they would have been able to check in before the others.

I get that the heat was making them not think clearly (I know I'm a wuss in heat), but still...if you're coming to these sort of conclusions this early in the race, it does not bode that well for you later on.

I was wondering why none of them did this- I mean I'm sure the water is warm and it would be a temporary reprieve, but I have to think it would have helped. Maybe it wasn't allowed? I was recently in SE Asia and it was F-ing hot, so I can only imagine how brutal 3 hours in that hot sun would be. Heat stroke can sneak up on you and before you even get to that point you can still feel pretty terrible.

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Per Phil on twitter, they could have jumped in the water but he says that people often don't think clearly under pressure and after "baking in the sun"

I missed a bit coming back from commercial break when those last 3 teams were still at the sandcastles. Who suggested they all quit and take the penalty first? Were the firemen completely beaten to the mat, still in the water when the other teams checked in?

Because the firemen could have turned the canoe around and tried to complete the sandcastles for another hour or two...they could've tried to bypass the four hour penalty, once the other two teams had definitely taken it, right?

I missed a bit coming back from commercial break when those last 3 teams were still at the sandcastles. Who suggested they all quit and take the penalty first? Were the firemen completely beaten to the mat, still in the water when the other teams checked in?

Because the firemen could have turned the canoe around and tried to complete the sandcastles for another hour or two...they could've tried to bypass the four hour penalty, once the other two teams had definitely taken it, right?

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It was the eville newly weds, Max & Katie that started the whole "lets all take the penalty". Both the blondes and firemen jumped right in and agreed.

And Spareoom is right, once the firemen announced to the camera that they were taking the penalty and got the clue, they could not go back to the sandcastles ie no changing their minds once they saw they were last in the water. And yes they were in the water still when the blondes checked in right after Max & Katie.

It was the eville newly weds, Max & Katie that started the whole "lets all take the penalty". Both the blondes and firemen jumped right in and agreed.

And Spareoom is right, once the firemen announced to the camera that they were taking the penalty and got the clue, they could not go back to the sandcastles ie no changing their minds once they saw they were last in the water. And yes they were in the water still when the blondes checked in right after Max & Katie.

The truly evil person would have agreed with the other teams to take the penalty and then make sure they were third in line. After the other 2 teams took the penalty and had the clue, the evil team would have "changed their minds" and headed back to the sandcastles.

The truly evil person would have agreed with the other teams to take the penalty and then make sure they were third in line. After the other 2 teams took the penalty and had the clue, the evil team would have "changed their minds" and headed back to the sandcastles.

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Or decided once they found a clue, and pretended they didn't find the clue, hid it again, and all made the decision. Waiting until the other two made got the next clue, and then BAM! Show the clue they had in the sandcastle.

In the past, if you quit the roadblock you had to wait out the 4 hour penalty before you were given your next clue and were allowed to move on. I don't know, it seems like they're making things easier for the racers.

In the past, if you quit the roadblock you had to wait out the 4 hour penalty before you were given your next clue and were allowed to move on. I don't know, it seems like they're making things easier for the racers.

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Or the sun was going to set within that time and they wanted them to be able to canoe in daylight so they got good TV footage.

In the past, if you quit the roadblock you had to wait out the 4 hour penalty before you were given your next clue and were allowed to move on. I don't know, it seems like they're making things easier for the racers.

Or the sun was going to set within that time and they wanted them to be able to canoe in daylight so they got good TV footage.

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I think if there had been any teams behind them, they would have had to wait, but there would be absolutely nothing to gain for anyone (including the viewers) for three teams to just sit in the sun by the sandcastles for 4 hours.

BTW, ratiings were 14% lower than the Feb 2012 TAR premier. This may not be as bad as it looks, but it can't be good.

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Considering how almost every other show has skidded in a downwards direction in the ratings (due to DVR, online episodes, and availability to watch episodes whenever and wherever convenient, etc), I'm not really that worried. TAR won its timeslot for the premiere, something that it wasn't able to do at all last season.

Considering how almost every other show has skidded in a downwards direction in the ratings (due to DVR, online episodes, and availability to watch episodes whenever and wherever convenient, etc), I'm not really that worried. TAR won its timeslot for the premiere, something that it wasn't able to do at all last season.

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I completely forgot it was on until my sister texted me.

Nobody annoyed me too much, except for newlywed blonde and her husband, but I kind of felt she was trying too hard to be a bitch, almost as if she decided that would get her the most screen time.

Is it just me or does the one hockey brother look like Prince William when you look at him quickly? Each time they show him my first impression is wow, that's just like Wills... but of course that changes when you look at him longer.